Debt Collectors .....
Discussion
About 4 years ago, I bought a house that was a repo. Nothing wrong with the house and it's been a great few years.
However the prev owner ... had I guess, done a runner leavnig lots of debt, and not just for the mortgage ...
Over the first year we had several agents turn up looking for payment and we politly explained that the house was a repo etc etc. We have tried returning them as not known at the address and it doesn't seem to have done anything, so we (after advice) started opening the letters contacting the agencys and asking them to remove us and update their records.
But as soon as the debt gets sold on, we hit the same slew of letters / collections people again.
Is there anything else we can do to stop this ? It's not much I know, but I'm getting fed up with it. I've checked and the guy isn't registered on the electoral role at our address.
Or is this just something that goes with buying a repo.
However the prev owner ... had I guess, done a runner leavnig lots of debt, and not just for the mortgage ...
Over the first year we had several agents turn up looking for payment and we politly explained that the house was a repo etc etc. We have tried returning them as not known at the address and it doesn't seem to have done anything, so we (after advice) started opening the letters contacting the agencys and asking them to remove us and update their records.
But as soon as the debt gets sold on, we hit the same slew of letters / collections people again.
Is there anything else we can do to stop this ? It's not much I know, but I'm getting fed up with it. I've checked and the guy isn't registered on the electoral role at our address.
Or is this just something that goes with buying a repo.
Just bin it if you cannot be bothered returning to sender. Despite your 'advice' do not open mail not addressed to you, regardless if it's been delivered to your address, it is an offence.
The letters will stop eventually, if debt collectors knock on the door, just politely tell them the debtor no longer lives there and that you have no forwarding information and close the door.
The previous owners debts wont have any effect on you in any way, your address cannot be 'blacklisted' it terms of credit rating.
The 'proper' thing to do is return to sender, but if you're understandably fed up of doing this then just bin them.
The letters will stop eventually, if debt collectors knock on the door, just politely tell them the debtor no longer lives there and that you have no forwarding information and close the door.
The previous owners debts wont have any effect on you in any way, your address cannot be 'blacklisted' it terms of credit rating.
The 'proper' thing to do is return to sender, but if you're understandably fed up of doing this then just bin them.
nosittap said:
Despite your 'advice' do not open mail not addressed to you, regardless if it's been delivered to your address, it is an offence.
Are you sure about that? I thought it was only an offence if you misused the information and in the OP's case it was fine. I've certainly done it when a previous tenant of mine has moved out without telling people.
In my case a polite e-mail to the sender explaining that the person had moved on seamed to stop the problem.
its the same with bloody phone numbers... as we found out.
We changed from talktalk to sky 2 years ago and for some unknown reason had to have a new number..which was meant to be unlisted but We have had phone calls from day one almost every day for the last 2 years from debt collection agencies looking for the same person - obviously the number was previously in use. Every single time they are told no one by that name lives here, but 2 years later they are still calling....
We changed from talktalk to sky 2 years ago and for some unknown reason had to have a new number..which was meant to be unlisted but We have had phone calls from day one almost every day for the last 2 years from debt collection agencies looking for the same person - obviously the number was previously in use. Every single time they are told no one by that name lives here, but 2 years later they are still calling....
PurpleMoonlight said:
I never understand why people get stressed by receiving mail for someone else at their address.
If you want to be responsible return it, if not, bin it.
if you actually read th Op properly you may notice that he hasnt just recieved mail.. debt collectors at your door is just a tad stressful when its not your debt...If you want to be responsible return it, if not, bin it.
andye30m3 said:
Are you sure about that?
I thought it was only an offence if you misused the information and in the OP's case it was fine. I've certainly done it when a previous tenant of mine has moved out without telling people.
In my case a polite e-mail to the sender explaining that the person had moved on seamed to stop the problem.
Yes, under the Postal Services Act 2000.I thought it was only an offence if you misused the information and in the OP's case it was fine. I've certainly done it when a previous tenant of mine has moved out without telling people.
In my case a polite e-mail to the sender explaining that the person had moved on seamed to stop the problem.
I know there is no malice in your or the OP's intentions but no one has the right right to open someone else's mail, regardless of intentions. Letters contain private and confidential information, you can do the right thing and let the sender know the named recipient is no longer at your address without infringing someone else's privacy. Any letter from a reputable company/person will have a return address on it.
In reality though it's very unlikely anyone will be prosecuted for opening other peoples mail, but it is an offence.
Receiving other peoples mail is mearly an inconvenience we all have to deal with, it wont effect us in any way.
From that act
'84 Interfering with the mail: general.
(3)A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.'
would it not be a reasonable excuse to open the mail in order to obtain the contact details of people a previous owner owed money to, in order to stop further proceedings.
'84 Interfering with the mail: general.
(3)A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.'
would it not be a reasonable excuse to open the mail in order to obtain the contact details of people a previous owner owed money to, in order to stop further proceedings.
andye30m3 said:
would it not be a reasonable excuse to open the mail in order to obtain the contact details of people a previous owner owed money to, in order to stop further proceedings.
Well that's open to interpritaion, and for a court to decide in the unlikely event someone was charged under the act. As I mentioned any letter from a reputable company will have a return address on it. If there is no identifying marks on a letter at all, then how would you know it's a debt letter?
andye30m3 said:
in order to stop further proceedings
Against whom? Nothing will happen to you or your property, a debt is owed by an individual, you and your assets are safe. If a door step collector comes knocking, politely tell them to do one, or treat them the same way you would treat a god botherer or a door to door sales man. If some one is claiming to be a bailiff, they can only be appointed by a court so in that instance, contact the county court and let them know the debtor has moved on. If they try to take any of your assets then call the police like you would with a burglary.
The content of the letter is irrelevant, a more appropriate statement would be.
andye30m3 said:
would it not be a reasonable excuse to open the mail in order to obtain the contact details of people a previous owner owed money to the sender, in order to stop further proceedings in order to let them know the addressee has goneaway.
IMO the only reasonable excuse for opening others mail is if there is no return address or identifying marks on the envelope and you open it to gain a return address. However in that situation the content of the letter is unknown and I would respect that persons privacy as I would expect others to respect mine and not open the letter. Just because someone is in debt does not mean they relinquish their right to privacy.
Edited by nosittap on Tuesday 30th October 10:22
Just bin them, once a debt gets to the 2-4 year stage where they're sending out agents letters (usually sent via some cut-price non royal mail postal service on the cheapest paper possible) it's a numbers game because the success rate is tiny.
There's not a team of diligent investigators sending them, opening every returned letter for 'clues', just a postal database of old debts nearing the enforcement deadline ran by a few people who'll just bin 'return to sender' mail en mass.
I'm highly surprised agents actually called, that's usually just a threat to get deadbeats to respond - and a response re-sets the clock in the time they've allowed to chase legally for.
If you've been there 4 year or so, it should tail off and stop in a year or two.
There's not a team of diligent investigators sending them, opening every returned letter for 'clues', just a postal database of old debts nearing the enforcement deadline ran by a few people who'll just bin 'return to sender' mail en mass.
I'm highly surprised agents actually called, that's usually just a threat to get deadbeats to respond - and a response re-sets the clock in the time they've allowed to chase legally for.
If you've been there 4 year or so, it should tail off and stop in a year or two.
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